


When Worlds Collide

by TheBookThief14



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bottom Katsuki Yuuri, M/M, Nerd Katsuki Yuuri, Protective Victor Nikiforov, Slow Build, Top Victor Nikiforov
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2019-05-04 16:59:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14597562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBookThief14/pseuds/TheBookThief14
Summary: Yuuri's life is the definition of ordinary-- Victor's not so much. When Phichit backs up into Victor's rather nice car one day, Yuuri has no idea his whole world is about to change.





	1. Chapter 1

Yuuri's POV  
\---

“Can I drive this time?” Phichit asked, his eyes wide with hope. 

Yuuri let out a sigh and looked down at the keys in his hands. “I don’t know,” He said and let out a small laugh, “You’re not exactly the best driver.”

“No, no, listen,” Phichit replied, shaking his head a little, “I’ve been practicing. I’m much better now. Honestly, I am.”

Yuuri looked up at him for a second before shaking his head and tossing him the keys, “If you wreck the rental car, you’re paying for it.”

“Deal!” Phichit all but screamed before running to the car and sliding in behind the wheel. Yuuri let out yet another sigh. Why do I feel like I’m going to regret this? Yuuri thought to himself. Against his better judgement, Yuuri opened the passenger-side door and climbed in next to his friend. “When’s the last time you drove in America, anyway?” Yuuri asked as Phichit started the car. 

“Hmm, probably a couple of months now.” He replied with a grin before turning to look over his shoulder and back the car out. 

“Oh, yeah, I’m definitely going to regret this.” Yuuri mumbled under his breath.

“Would you stop?” Phichit shot back at him, turning around to glare at him. “I’m honestly a much better dri—“

Yuuri lurched forward in his seat suddenly, nearly smacking his head on the dashboard. “What did you do?” He yelled, whipping his head up to look at Phichit.

“I’m so sorry, I’m sorry! I turned around to talk to you and forgot to watch where I was backing up! I’m so sorry, Yuuri!” Tears welling up in his eyes.

Yuuri shook his head and let out a small sigh, “I’m sure its fine. You weren’t going fast enough to do any real damage.” He said, unbuckling himself and opening up the door. 

“Wh-Where are you going?”

“To look at the damage, obviously. I’m not going to let you pull a hit-and-run. Now get out of the car.” 

Phichit let out a small whine before throwing the car in park, unbuckling himself, and getting out of the car after Yuuri. 

“Uh oh,” Yuuri said softly, but Phichit was still able to hear him.

“Don’t tell me there’s a lot of damage?” He said, his voice in a near panic as he came around the back of the car. 

“I’m not sure yet, but if there is damage, you’re going to be paying a fortune. That’s an Audi.” Yuuri said, slapping a hand to his forehead. 

“D-Does that mean it’s expensive?” 

Expansive!?” Yuuri yelled, “Do you know how much this car probably costs!?”

“This one was only about 70,000, actually.” A voice said behind Yuuri. 

“Only 70,000!? Do you know how much money that is?” Yuuri said, whipping around to stare at the stranger, his mouth wide open.

“Why, yes I do. I paid for the car, actually.” The stranger said, his voice low and smooth, but with a hint of amusement to it. 

“Oh my god,” Phichit said, running over to the man, “I’m so so sorry, mister. I was arguing with my friend and wasn’t paying attention and I’m just so sorry.” He said, the words pouring out of his mouth.

“Hey, it’s alright.” The stranger said, putting his hands up and letting out a small laugh, “I doubt you damage. Let’s just take a look, alright?” Phichit nodded his head, calming down slightly. 

Yuuri couldn’t stop himself from staring. The man was tall—taller than Yuuri at least. Yuuri could tell that he was lean but still muscular. The dress shirt he wore clung to him in all the right places—the pants, too—and looked rather expansive. His hair was the color of silver, and his bangs hung over one of his piercing blue eyes. Yuuri didn’t realize he still had his mouth open until the stranger looked up at him again and let out a small laugh. Yuuri could feel his cheeks begin to burn as he snapped his mouth closed and dropped his eyes to the ground. 

“Let’s just take a look, shall we?” The silver-haired man said, walking over the cars. Phichit was right behind the man, but Yuuri waited for his embarrassment to die down a bit before joining them.

“See? What did I tell you?” The silver-haired man said with a laugh. “Not even a scratch.”

“Oh, thank god, thank god.” Phichit said, his hand coming up to rest over his heart.

“What about the rental car?” Yuuri asked before he realized what he was doing. He was relieved for Phichit, though. He was genuinely worried Phichit was going to be screwed if there were damages to that Audi. 

“Nope! You guys look fine, too.” The man said, smiling widely and clapping his hands together. 

“Oh, thank you, thank you!” Phichit said, running a hand through his hair. “Thank you for being so cool about this.”

“Of course! Accidents happen—it’s no problem.” The silver-haired man said before glancing up at Yuuri. “Sometime accidents are blessing in disguise.” He said, and Yuuri could have sworn he saw the man wink at him.

“Do you want my number in case you notice anything wrong with your car later?” Phichit asked suddenly, his face flushing slightly. 

“Hm, it couldn’t hurt. But I should probably get whoever’s number is registered with the vehicle since it’s a rental and there are liabilities and all that other fun stuff.”

“Uh, that would be me then, actually.” Yuuri said, nearly choking on his own words. He was sure his face was redder than Phichit’s now. The silver-haired man made his way over to him, and Yuuri thought his heart was going to stop. 

“Here, write your number down on this.” He said, handing Yuuri a card and a pen from his pocket. 

Yuuri noticed the card was a pretty fancy business card with some company he had never heard of, but he caught the name on it before he flipped it over to scribble down his name and phone number. So, his name is Victor Nikiforov, huh?

“Thank you so much, erm, Yuuri? Am I pronouncing that right?” Victor asked, looking up at him with a shy smile.

In all his years of being alive, Yuuri had never heard someone say his name like that—so beautifully.

“Uhh-uh, yeah. That’s right.” Yuuri muttered out, nearly kicking himself afterward. 

“Well, until next time then, Yuuri.” Victor said, this time with a wink Yuuri knew he wasn’t imagining. He gave Phichit a soft smile before turning and walking back inside the restaurant he must have come from. Yuuri watched him go, staring at his back (and maybe something else) in shock and awe. A hard slap on his shoulder snapped him out of his trance. 

“Dude,” Phichit said, shaking his head, “I am so jealous of you right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it has been a hot minute since I wrote any sort of fanfiction. I plan to update regularly throughout the summer, so I hope you stick with me. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Victor's POV  
\---

“Isn’t that just hilarious?” Christophe said, smacking the table as he burst out in laughter.

“There’s no way that happened.” JJ said, wiping a tear from his eye as he continued to laugh.

“I swear! He just came up to me and grabbed a handful of my ass and said, ‘You know gorg—‘”

“Ha, called it.” Victor interrupted, standing from the table suddenly.

“Hey! You interrupted the best part of my story!” Christophe complained, throwing his hands in the air. 

“Oh, yes, and I’m terribly sorry for that.” Victor mocked as he knocked back the rest of his bourbon, “But it seems someone has just backed into my car.”

“Well, shit, you better go get there information before they drive away.” JJ said, looking to watch two men climb out of the car that backed up into Victor’s. 

“That is exactly what I plan to do.” Victor said, a small smile playing on his lips. “Excuse me gentlemen.”

“How much you want to bet he hits on the one in the glasses there?” JJ said, watching the man in the glasses slap his hand to his forehead. 

“Well, judging by the looks of him,” Christophe said, leaning to get a better look, “He’s a little plain for Victor’s tastes, don’t you think?”

“Maybe,” JJ said with a small hum, “But I think Victor’s getting a bored of people like us.”

“And just what do you mean by that?” Christophe asked, glaring at JJ for a moment. “Well, I’ll tell you what, if he doesn’t hit on him, I sure as hell will.”

“Christophe, you’ll hit on anything that walks on two legs.” JJ said, taking a sip of his drink.

“Hey, that’s not . . . alright, you got me there.”  
\----

“Expensive!? Do you know how much this car probably costs!?” The man in the glasses yelled at his friend as Victor made his way up to the scene.

“This one only cost about 70,000, actually.” Victor said matter-of-factly. To be honest, this was one of his less expensive cars, and he often drove it to town for reasons just like this. 

“Only 70,000!? Do you know how much money that is!?” The man in the glasses yelled, turning to face Victor with his mouth hanging wide open.

‘Cute,’ Victor thought. “Why yes, I do. I paid for the car, actually.” Victor said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice, but some slipped through anyway.

“Oh my god!” The other man all but yelled as he ran over to Victor. “I am so sorry mister. I was arguing with my friend here and wasn’t paying attention and I am just so, so sorry!” He said, and Victor was starting to worry the man was going to cry.

“Hey, it’s alright. I doubt you did any real damage. Let’s just take a look alright?” Victor said, doing his best to diffuse the situation. It would be really awkward to hit on the guy in the glasses if his friend started crying. Victor could feel the man in the glasses watching him as he went. ‘Well, this might be easier than I thought.’ Victor thought to himself, a small smirk tugging on his lips. He glanced over and sure enough the guy was staring at him, mouth still hanging wide open. “Let’s just take a look, shall we?” Noticing the way the man’s mouth snapped closed and his cheeks flushed instantly, Victor had to force himself to walk to the cars before he blurted out something stupid.

He looked at his car for a moment and noticed a couple small scratches, but nothing too serious. “See, what did I tell you?” Victor said, letting out a small laugh. “Not even a scratch!” He wasn’t about to make this guy pay for a couple of minor scratches, even if it would only cost a couple hundred dollars. But, a couple hundred is probably a lot more the other guy than to Victor anyway. 

“Oh, thank god, thank god.” The other man said.

“What about the rental car?” The man in the glasses said, apparently recovered from his earlier embarrassment.

“Nope! You guys look fine, too!” Victor said, this time honestly, as he clapped his hands together and put on his best smile.

“Oh, thank you, thank you!” The other man said, running a hand through his hair, clearly relieved. “Thank you for being so cool about this.”

“Of course! Accidents happen, it’s no problem.” Victor said, glancing up at the man in the glasses. “Sometimes accidents are blessings in disguise, anyway.” He finished, throwing in a wink for extra measure. ‘Alright, time to make my move.’ Victor thought; but before he could open his mouth, the other man was talking. 

“Do you want my number in case you notice anything wrong with your car later?” The man said, his face flushing slightly.

‘Damn,’ Victor thought, ‘Not exactly the number I was trying to get.’ “Hm, couldn’t hurt.” Victor said, thinking for a moment, “But I should probably get whoever’s number is registered to the car since it’s a rental and liability and all that.” ‘Oh, please, let it be the guy in the glasses its registered to,’ Victor thought, praying his luck wouldn’t run out.

“Uh, that would be mine, actually.” The man in the glasses said.

Victor smiled to himself as he watched the man’s face turn a light pink. ‘Really cute.’ He thought. He made his way over to the man, fishing in his pocket for a pen and some paper. He found a pen, but the only paper he had was a business car. ‘Oh, well, beggars can’t be choosers.’

“Here, write your name and number down on this.” He said, handing the items to the man in the glasses. ‘Two birds, one stone.” Victor thought, ‘Nice.’ When the man handed the card and the pen back to him, Victor thought he was going to die he was so pleased with himself. “Thank you so much, erm,” Victor paused, not quite sure how to pronounce the name written on the card. ‘Oh fuck, don’t mess up now. You’ve come too far dammit.” He thought to himself before reading the name off the way it looked like it should be pronounced. “Yuuri? Am I pronouncing that right?” Victor asked, looking up nervously and assuming he’d completely butchered it.

“Uhh-uh, yeah, that’s right.” Yuuri muttered out, and Victor was about ready to sing. 

“Well, until next time then, Yuuri.” Victor said with another wink, hoping that Yuuri understood there would definitely be a next time. He headed back inside the restaurant and made his way back to the table. 

Christophe watched him as he approached, shaking his head but smiling. JJ had his back to him, but his hand was in the air waiting for a high-five. Victor clapped it and gave it a squeeze before sitting down proudly. “Well, what did you think, gentlemen?” He asked with a wide grin.

“You are one smooth son of a bitch.” Christophe said, shaking his head. 

“I called it when you walked out there, but Christophe didn’t believe me.” JJ said, sipping his drink smugly. “When will you learn, Christophe? When will you learn?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Christophe said, rolling his eyes. “So when are you going to call him?” He asked Victor, leaning his elbows on the table and resting his face in his hands. “Because if you don’t call him by, let’s say tomorrow, I’m calling him.”

“Well then,” Victor said, ordering another drink, “Looks like I’m calling him tomorrow.”


	3. Chapter 3

Yuuri's POV  
\---

“You know, if we weren’t such good friends, I’d be really mad at you right now.” Phichit said, letting out a little laugh.

“W-Why do you say that?” Yuuri asked, gripping the steering wheel tightly. 

“Because I finally get the chance to shoot my shot with a gorgeous gut—who also happens to be pretty well off—and he ends up getting your number on a fluke. What are the odds?” Phichit said, his voice was light and joking, but Yuuri could sense the hint of disappointment in it.

Yuuri shook his head. It’s not like he did anything to ruin Phichit’s chance with the guy. He just happened to be the one to the car that day. It was just a coincidence. 

“Oh, who am I kidding,” Phichit said, letting out a small sigh, “I never had a chance with that guy.”

“Hey, now, don’t say that.” Yuuri warned, looking over at his friend for a moment, but Phichit was still smiling. 

“I don’t mean it like that. I just meant that it was always you he was going after. From the moment he stepped out of that restaurant, he hardly ever took his eyes off you.” Phichit explained, the smile never leaving his lips. “I mean it, Yuuri. If you saw the way that guy was looking at you, you’d understand why I believe I never stood a chance.”

Yuuri gripped the steering wheel tighter. ‘Did he really look at me that way?’ Yuuri thought to himself. ‘No, that’s not possible. Victor is gorgeous and rich and smooth, and I can barely talk to my mom without mixing up my words. There’s no way someone like that would be interested in someone like me.’ But the thought of Victor looking at him the way Phichit described made his stomach flip. Plus, Victor did wink at him at least one time for sure. Yuuri shook his head again, there was just no way. 

“You’re sitting there wondering how a guy like Victor could be interested in ‘someone like you,’ aren’t you?” Phichit asked, giving Yuuri side-eye.

“No, I just,” Yuuri started before letting out a sigh. He knew there was no use trying to deny it—Phichit knew him too well for that. “Okay, yeah. I guess I’m just having a hard time seeing it.”

“Yuuri, you’re a catch, okay?” Phichit said, his voice turning serious. “And I’m not just saying that because I’m your friend, either. Look, I know you’ve been hurt before, but I’m serious. You’re attractive, you’re fun to be around, and you’re smarter than anyone else I know. I mean, you’re getting your doctorate for Christ’s sake. I’d say that’s pretty damn impressive.” Phichit finished, giving Yuuri a smile. “Give yourself some credit, okay? Victor’s the one who should consider himself lucky.”

Yuuri shook his head, but he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Phichit was always the best at cheering him up. “Okay, okay, it you say so. But I still doubt he’s going to call me.”

“You want to make a bet? Because I bet you ten dollars that he will—and that’s easy money.”

Yuuri laughed and shook his head, “If you say so.”  
\---

Yuuri unlocked the door to his apartment and flopped onto his couch. He’s gotten home a lot later than he was hoping. Between the argument he and Phichit had gotten into about whether or not to tell the rental-car company about the little accident (Yuuri thought it was only appropriate to be honest, but Phichit was worried they would fine him even if there were no damages) and the bus arriving to take him home from Phichit’s apartment, it was already well past 11 o’clock. In the end, they agreed not to tell, but it would be a while before Phichit would drive again; although, Phichit mention that if anything, Yuuri should be thanking him for backing up into Victor’s car. 

Yuuri let out a groan and rolled over on the couch. He had a bunch of work to finish tomorrow, and he could already tell he was going to be tired when he woke up in the morning. Thank god it was Saturday at least. ‘I should really get up and change and go to b—,” But before he could finish his thought, he’d drifted off to sleep. 

He woke up the next morning to the sun pouring in through his living room window. He let out a groan and fished his phone out of his pocket. It was a little past 8 am, and Yuuri groaned again. He pushed himself off of the couch and made his way into the bathroom for a shower. ‘I wonder if Victor will really call me.’ Yuuri thought, stepping under the water. ‘But if he doesn’t, Phichit will owe me ten bucks, and that wouldn’t be so bad.” But Yuuri knew deep down he wanted to the one to lose ten dollars.

He spent a good chuck of his day reading through and grading undergraduate papers. If there’s one thing he hated about earning his doctorate, it was being a teaching assistant for freshmen—their papers were always a pain in the ass to get through. It paid decent enough for him to have his own apartment though, so he supposed he shouldn’t be complaining. His phone started to ring on the desk next to him, and he nearly fell out of his chair. For a moment he couldn’t bring himself to look at it, but when he finally gathered up the nerve to glance at it, he realized it was just Phichit.

“H-Hello?” Yuuri answered, feeling both relieved at disappointed all at once. 

“Bet you were hoping that I was Victor, weren’t you?” Phichit joked, his laughter instantly relaxing Yuuri. 

“Nah, I’m looking forward to winning that ten dollars, actually.” Yuuri joked back, knowing Phichit was rolling his eyes at the other end. 

“Yeah, okay. Whatever you say, buddy.” Phichit replied, clearly not buying it. “Anyway, I was calling to see if you were still coming over tonight for drinks? Because if you don’t I’ll probably die of boredom.”

“And we wouldn’t want that, now would we?” Yuuri said, laughing at his own joke. “Yeah, I’ll be over around seven, sound good?”

“Sounds like a plan, Stan.” Phichit said before exchanging goodbyes and hanging up. 

Yuuri had a couple of hours before needing to leave. He managed to suffer through a few more papers and almost nod off at his desk before getting up to get changed. He threw on his favorite pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket before slipping on his shoes, grabbing his keys, and heading out the door. It was a nice night, and he figured he could use a walk after sitting at his desk all day, so he headed in Phichit’s direction. 

On the way to Phichit’s, Yuuri got lost in thought—most of it having to do with Victor. ‘There’s no way he’s going to call, it’s already so late.’ Yuuri thought, feeling his stomach sink a little. ‘Oh, well, that’s ten dollars for me.’ Before he knew it, he was walking up the steps of Phichit’s apartment building and knocking on his door.

“What’s up, Yuuri?” Phichit said, throwing the door open and letting Yuuri in. “Have you received any interesting phone calls yet?” He asked, heading to the kitchen to grab a couple of beers out of the fridge.

“Nah, nothing.” Yuuri said, dropping onto Phichit’s couch.

“Well, don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll call eventually.” Phichit assured, handing Yuuri a beer and settling into the couch next to him. Yuuri just hummed in reply, taking a pull from his beer. 

One shitty movie and too many beers later, Yuuri’s face was flushed and the room was spinning slightly.

“I mean, it’s just not realistic, man. Why would you hide in some shitty shed with a door that doesn’t even fucking lock when you had the opportunity to just keep running and get the fuck out of there?” Phichit said, and Yuuri could tell he was feeling the alcohol as well on account of all of his cussing.

“It’s call . . . wait for it . . . drama.” Yuuri said, adding jazz hands for emphasis. 

“Oh, shut up, you asshat. You just think you’re so fucking fun—,“ But before Phichit could finish, Yuuri’s phone was ringing.

“Hello?” Yuuri answered, not even bothering to check who it was—alcohol makes you do dumb things like that sometimes. 

“Uh, yes, is this Yuuri? Sorry for calling so late, the day got away from me.” A voice replied, but Yuuri didn’t quite recognize it.

“Oh my god,” Phichit said, a smile spreading across his flushed face, “Its Victor, isn’t it.” 

Yuuri glared at him. “No, no, it’s no trouble.” Yuuri replied to the man on the phone. “May I ask who’s calling?” Yuuri said, trying his best not to slur his words.

“Oh, I’m sorry, how rude of me. It’s Victor Nikiforov from yesterday.” The man said, and Yuuri’s heart stopped in his chest.

“Oh! Victor! H-hi! Wh-what can I do for you? Is there something wrong with your car?” Yuuri asked, the alcohol no longer helping him keep his cool.

“Well, to be honest with you, I’m not calling about my car at all.” Victor said, clearing his throat for a second. “I was actually calling to see of you were free this Friday night? I know this is a shot in the dark and we only just met, but I’d love to get to know you better.” Victor finished, and for a second Yuuri thought Victor’s voice sounded like he might actually be nervous.

“Oh, um, no! I mean, yes! I mean,” Yuuri took a breath, “No, I am not busy on Friday, and yes I would love to get to know each other more.” Yuuri said, feeling his face burn from embarrassment. ‘Thank god for alcohol,’ Yuuri thought because without it, he probably would have been so nervous he would have forgotten how to speak by now. Phichit jumped off of the couch and left the room throwing his fists in the air in victory.

“Perfect! Does dinner sound okay? We can pick a place when the date gets closer.” Victor said, his voice smooth but clearly very pleased.

“Y-yeah. That, uh, that sounds good to me.” Yuuri said, watching Phichit jump up and down in the kitchen.

“Wonderful,” Victor said, practically purring into the phone, and Yuuri felt his face flush dark red again. “I’ll call you again soon. Goodbye, Yuuri.”

“Y-yeah. Goodbye.” Yuuri said, hanging up the phone before he could say anything else stupid.

“Fuck yes!” Phichit said, running back into the room and jumping on the couch ignoring Yuuri’s comment about how he’s a grown man. “Not only am I incredibly happy for you, but I also just won ten dollars.” 

“Oh, shut up.” Yuuri said, but he couldn’t hide his smile or ignore the fact that he definitely had butterflies in his stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for plot development! I'm already excited to write the next chapter, haha. Also, thank you so much for all of your comments! Keep them coming! :) And, again, thank you for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

The week flew by for Yuuri and he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it. With every day that passed, he found himself more and more nervous about his date with Victor. His last phone call with him didn’t help either. He was sitting at his desk, half way through a stupid paper he was working on when his phone started to ring. When he saw Victor’s name on the screen, he almost didn’t answer but thought better of it. 

“Ah, Victor, what’s up?” Yuuri answered, trying to keep his voice smooth and casual.

“Yuuri!” Victor said, his voice cheerful as always, and Yuuri couldn’t help but smile. “How are you?”

“I’ve been good, keeping busy.” Yuuri said, willing himself not to mess up his words. “How about you?”

“Busy, busy, busy,” Victor said, letting out a little sigh, “But I’m doing better just hearing your voice.” He said, adding in a little laugh. 

Yuuri’s face flushed instantly, and he lost his composure. “Ha, ha, yeah,” Yuuri said, trailing off. He wanted to say something witty and flirty back, but the only words he could think of at the moment were ‘yeah’, ‘okay’, and ‘good’.

“Well, I don’t want to bother you for too long, I just wanted to let you know that I found the perfect place for us to eat this Friday.” Victor said, and Yuuri could hear the pride in his voice.

“Y-Yeah?” Yuuri said, mentally punching himself. “And where’s t-that?” He managed to ask.

“Can’t tell you, it’s a surprise!” Victor said, his voice never wavering like Yuuri’s so often did.

“Oh, o-okay,” Yuuri said, adding in a small, nervous laugh.

“I think you’ll love it,” Victor said, and Yuuri could picturing him smiling his wide smile on the other end. “I do have to warn you, though, you’ll have to dress nice. Is that okay?”

Yuuri swallowed. ‘How nice is ‘nice’?” He thought, but shook his head and took a breath. “That’s no problem at all.” He said, forcing himself to stay composed. 

“Wonderful!” Victor exclaimed, “Then I will see you Friday. Oh, and text me your address will you? I’ll pick you up at six, if that’s alright.”

“Uh, y-yeah. That’s fine.” Yuuri said, his heart beginning to race from the thought of it all.

“Perfect! I look forward to seeing you again, Yuuri. Enjoy the rest of your night.” Victor said, his voice taking on that purr again.

“Y-Yeah, you too, Victor.” And with that, Yuuri hung up the phone and immediately called Phichit.

“Whatcha want?” Phichit answered, audibly chewing on food.

“Victor just called,” Yuuri said, pausing as Phichit started to choke on his food.

“S-Sorry, sorry,” Phichit said, coughing and clearing his throat, “What did he say? Did he cancel? Because if he canceled, I swear to god I’ll—“

“No, no, nothing like that.” Yuuri said, interrupting him. “He told me that he picked a place for us to eat on Friday and that it was a surprise but also that I needed to dress nice and that he’d pick me up at six.” Yuuri said, the words spilling out of his mouth.

“Woah, woah, okay. Dress nice, huh? How nice is ‘nice’?” Phichit asked, and Yuuri could hear him take another bite of food.

“I don’t know! That’s why I called you! I was hoping you would know!” Yuuri wined, dropping his head onto his desk with a thud. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Shut up, you’re going.” Phichit replied matter-of-factly. “What’s the nicest thing you own?”

“Uh, my suit, I guess?”

“It’s black, right? You still have that light blue dress shirt you wore to graduation?” His voice taking on a serious tone.

“Uh, yeah, I think so.” 

“Okay, black suit, light blue shirt, your black and silver tie, and your black dress shoes. The blue shirt brings out the brown in your eyes—trust me.” Phichit said, starting to chew on food again.

“Do you think that’s nice enough?” Yuuri asked, his nerves getting the better of him.

“Well, the only thing nicer than a suit is a tux, and that seems a little over the top.” Phichit joked, “But seriously, it’ll be okay and you’ll look great and you’ll go have fun and you’ll fall in love and you’ll live happy ever after, okay?” He assured Yuuri, and Yuuri could hear the smile in his voice.

“Okay, okay,” Yuuri breathed out, laughing lightly, “But if it’s a wreck, you have to promise you’ll come rescue me.” 

“I promise I will come and cause the biggest distraction so you can run to the bathroom and shimmy your ass out of the bathroom window.” Phichit said, his voice flat and serious. “But I don’t think you’ll need it.” He said, the warmth coming back into his voice.

“Whatever you say.” Yuuri said, rolling his eyes. He thanked Phichit for his help and hung up.  
\---

As Yuuri stepped out of the shower and began to dry off, he couldn’t help but feel like he was going to be sick. He checked the time and his phone read 4:30—he had an hour and a half before Victor would be here. He took his time getting ready, dressing slowly, brushing his teeth for longer than necessary—the usual preparations. He looked at himself in the mirror once he was fully dressed and had to admit that Phichit knew what he was talking about. The light blue shirt really did make his brown eyes pop; he’d have to buy him a beer later as a ‘thank you’.

He looked in the mirror one more time before letting out a sigh. ‘Why the hell not?’ He thought before grabbing hair get and running his hands through his dark hair. He only slicked his hair back for special occasions, but if this wasn’t a special occasion, he didn’t know what was. His phone vibrated on the counter next to him, and he saw that Victor had texted him.

‘I’ll be there in 20.’ It read, and Yuuri bit his lip and feeling his nerves start to act up again. 

He looked up at his reflection one more time before sighing, taking his glasses off, and leaving them on the counter. ‘Might as well complete the look,’ He thought before walking out of the bathroom. He walked into the living, and sat down on the couch to put on his shoes slowly. ‘You are going to be okay and you are going to have fun and you will not panic in the middle of the restaurant and ruin this and you will be okay.’ He thought to himself, taking a few deep breaths to slow his racing heart. When he finally felt ready, he stood from the couch, grabbed his keys and wallet, and headed out the door. 

He waited for Victor in front of his apartment building, figuring it would be easier than having Victor try to find his apartment. At five till six, the nicest car Yuuri had ever seen in person pulled up along the sidewalk in front of him. It was a sleek black with chrome lining the details, and not a single smudge scratch could be seen. The windows were tinted enough that Yuuri couldn’t see who was driving, and even the tires were blacked out. He shook his head, ‘There’s no way this is Victor’s car,’ Yuuri thought, ‘I’ve seen Victor’s car.”

So it’s no surprise that it took everything in Yuuri’s power to stop his mouth from dropping open as Victor stepped out of the car and made his way over to Yuuri. Victor was dressed in a black suit as well, but it appeared to have a smooth, matte texture to it. His dress shirt was a deep marron causing his light blue eyes to turn silver—the same color as his hair. The suit hugged him in all of the right places and was clearly tailored to his body. He wore a black matte bowtie, and Yuuri caught himself staying at the perfect porcelain skin of his throat for too long, wondering what would happen if he dragged his teeth down the smooth skin.

“Yuuri,” Victor said when he got closer, the name sounding like a breath. Yuuri immediately snapped out of his dirty dream, and prayed to god that his face wasn’t blushing as deeply as he felt it was. “You look stunning.” Victor finished, his hand reaching out slowly to collect one of Yuuri’s before bringing to his mouth for a soft kiss.

Yuuri nearly fell over. He could feel the heat in his cheeks, and if his face wasn’t red before, it definitely was now. “H-hello, Victor,” He replied and took a small breath to collect himself. “You look amazing as well.” He managed to say, and giving Victor a small smile before he became nervous again and starting biting his lip. 

“Thank you.” Victor said, dropping his eyes to the roses Yuuri was just now noticing. “I hope it’s not too much, but I brought you these.” He said, holding the small bouquet of flowers out for Yuuri to take. “I saw them when I was out earlier today and, well, they reminded me of you.” He finished, his cheeks taking on a hint of pink as he raised his eyes up to meet Yuuri’s again. 

“Oh, wow,” Yuuri said, taking the roses from Victor’s hand slowly. Their fingers brushed gently and only for a moment, but Yuuri’s skin caught fire all the same causing him to suck in a breath. “Thank you so much.” He breathed out, looking at the roses for a moment and then back up at Victor. “They’re beautiful.”

Victor held his eyes for a moment, not moving or saying a word. Yuuri was starting to worry until Victor’s mouth took on a gentle smile. “Good,” He said so softly Yuuri could hardly hear him, “I’m glad you like them—I’ll have to remember that.” He said, voice still low, as if he was speaking to himself. “Shall we go then? Our reservation is for 6:30.”

“Oh! Yes, of course!” Yuuri said, snapping to attention and immediately turning for the car. He made a reach for the handle, but Victor beat him to it. 

“Please,” Victor said, smiling and opening the car door for him, “Allow me.” He finished, he mouth curling into a half-smile. 

“Oh, thank you.” Yuuri said, a little taken back by the gesture. 

He definitely was not used to all this—the car, the roses, the nice clothes (even if that was mostly on Victor’s end), the polite gestures, the compliments—and he was having a hard time adjusting to it all. He climbed in the car slowly and tried his best to relax. The scent of the roses was strong and sweet, and it helped him clear his mind for a moment—or at least until Victor slid into the seat next to him. The drive to the restaurant was calm and quiet, and Yuuri was grateful for it. They talked briefly about their days and then sat in a comfortable silence. 

After a while, Victor turned on some music—nothing Yuuri had ever heard before, and he was almost positive it was in a different language—and began to hum along softly. Yuuri, surprisingly, found himself starting to relax. Victor’s voice was gentle and low, and Yuuri would have been content listening to it for hours. Without Yuuri really knowing or paying attention, Victor was parking the car and climbing out, and Yuuri’s moment of peace was over. Victor half-jogged over to Yuuri’s side of the car, opening the door before Yuuri had the chance to and offering Yuuri his hand. Yuuri blushed but took it, leaving the roses, almost unwillingly, in the seat behind him.

“We’re here,” Victor said with a smile, offering his arm to Yuuri. He took it hesitantly, his face no doubt growing darker by the minute, and allowed Victor to lead him toward the building.

As they grew closer, Yuuri found that the outside of the building was nothing short of a work of art. Bronze casting decorated the sides of it, twisting and turning to reflect gold in the sun’s setting light. Stained glass of every color hung in the windows—each showing a different arrangement of carefully constructed flowers. Two men opened the doors for them as they made their way up the steps, and Victor nodded his head to them, saying something Yuuri didn’t quite understand.

When Yuuri’s feet touched the marble flooring of the inside, he couldn’t stop himself from sucking in a breath. The ceiling seemed to stretch on forever above them with the largest chandeliers Yuuri had ever seen handing from them. The diamonds reflected the colors from the stained glass and painted the white marble floors below them in every color imaginable. 

Women in flowing dresses passed by them, each more decorated than the next. Men were dressed in their best as well, each suit appearing to cost more than Yuuri’s college tuition. As he took it all in, processing it slowly, he caught Victor out of the corner of his eye, watching him.

“Do you like it?” Victor asked, his expression drawn, like he was waiting for Yuuri to yell at him.

“Victor, its,” Yuuri let out a breath, completely at a loss for words, “It’s amazing.” He finished, not pleased with his word choice because it was all so much more than amazing, but his brain was too overwhelmed to think of anything better. 

Victor’s face lit up all the same, clearly pleased that Yuuri was pleased with his choice. “Good, I’m glad you like it—I really hoped you would.” He squeezed Yuuri’s arm which was still entwined in his for a moment before leaving him to speak to the hostess.

“Of course, Mr. Nikiforov, how could we forget you?” Yuuri heard the woman say in a thick accent before catching Yuuri’s eye and beckoning them both to follow her. 

Victor guided Yuuri in front of him and behind the woman, his hand on the small of Yuuri’s back as they walked through the restaurant. They made their way past countless tables and chairs, and Yuuri spotted a dance floor towards the back wall. Men were twirling their dates around, their dressed pooling around them and reflecting the colors from the windows as they moved graciously, effortlessly, around one another. 

Yuuri felt himself grow jealous for a moment, but it was quickly replaced by disappointment. He would never be able to move as beautifully as those women did—would never be able to feel comfortable in a place like this, with people like Victor. He had no idea what Victor saw in him, but he really didn’t want to stick around long enough to disappoint. He felt panic begin to rise in his chest, his heart beginning to race fast and faster. 

‘I can’t do this,’ Yuuri thought to himself, suddenly overwhelmed. He watched a women be dipped by her date before being pulled swiftly back up again into a passionate kiss. He would never have something like that—even with Victor. He would never turn heads the way these women did, the way that Victor did. He needed to leave, had to leave, before Victor began to see it for himself—before he realized that Yuuri didn’t belong in a place like this with someone as beautiful as himself.

Yuuri shook his head, the panic beginning to take over his body. He had to get away before he made a fool out of himself in front of all of these people—in front of Victor. He only hoped Victor wouldn’t hate him too much for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have only one thing to say about both the length of this chapter and the ending: oops


	5. Chapter 5

“Is this table okay?” The waitress asks, her eyes, thankfully, on Victor. Yuuri, meanwhile, feels like he’s about to explode, or cry, or just straight up bolt—his body can’t decide. He looks everywhere but at the waitress and Victor. The table is in the middle of the restaurant surrounded by dozens of noisy conversations, waitresses and waiters passing by with food or drinks or more quests, and couples walking by with linked arms or joined hands as they make their way to the dance floor. Yuuri wants to shake his head, tell Victor this is all too much and that he’s like to go home; but a firm hand on his back silences his head for a moment, and when Victor’s strong chest presses into Yuuri’s back, he starts to feel grounded again. He closes his eyes for a moment, and takes a deep breath, Victor’s hand on his hack pressing in a bit firmer and grounding him the rest of the way.

“Actually, do you have a table available outside?” Yuuri hears Victor ask, his voice almost loud in Yuuri’s ear he’s so close.

Yuuri felt his chest relax when the waitress replied that they did, and he sent a few ‘thank you’s to whoever might be listening to his prayers these days. He wasn’t sure if had just gotten lucky or if Victor had sensed that something was wrong until the taller man leaned into him further and whispered, “It’s too crowded in here for me, too.” His voice was soft and sincere, but his breath was warm against the shell of Yuuri’s ear, and the raven felt his cheeks flush from the intimacy of it.

They followed the waitress outside, and as soon as he felt the fresh air hit his face, his body began to relax a bit. They were seated practically by themselves, except for a few couples scattered here and there throughout the seating area. Yuuri felt like he was in a different would sitting out here—it was much different than being inside the restaurant. The garden was simple and elegant—plants grew everywhere around the tables, their blossoms just beginning to form; and as the sun finally sank below the horizon, the plants began to twinkle with a hundred lights hidden within their branches. It was as though the stars had fallen from the heavens and taken refuge among the plants just recently waking from their winter slumber—and Yuuri couldn’t help but smile.

He felt at peace here compared to being in the restaurant, and when he finally looked over at Victor, he found that the sliver-haired man was already watching him with soft eyes and an easy relaxed smile. Yuuri smiled and his cheeks flushed slightly—he wasn’t sure what he did to capture the attention of someone as beautiful as Victor, but he was thankful for the gift the universe had given him—even if it was just for this moment.

“So, Yuuri,” Victor said, leaning his head in his hand as his arm rested on the table, “Tell me about yourself.”

“Well, I,” Yuuri began, pausing as glasses of wine were set down before them on the table. He didn’t remember Victor ordering wine? “I, uh, I’m still in school, actually. Graduate studies, though. I’m working on my doctorate right now.” Yuuri finished, watching as Victor sipped on his win and chose to mirror him. The wine was cool on his lips and sweet on his tongue. He would have drank the whole glass right then and there if he had the option, but he restrained himself.

“Wow, your doctorate? That takes a lot of work—and dedication. Most people can’t last in school that long—including me.” Victor said, laughing lightly. “What are you warning your doctorate in?”  
“English-Literature with an emphasis on historical lenses.” Yuuri said, smiling shyly. He loved what he did more than anything in the world, but it wasn’t the most interesting topic to talk about. Most people just nod their heads and say ‘sounds dull’ before moving the topic along.

“Wow! That sounds fascinating.” Victor said, his voice free of any sort of mocking or sarcasm. “Tell me about it, like the specifics of your work.”

Yuuri was shocked. No one had ever said that it sounding “fascinating,” let alone wanted to hear more about it. Yuuri sat there in stunned silence, waiting for Victor to say, “Just kidding”—but he never did. He just sat there, staring at Yuuri intently and patiently, the subtlest of smiles on his lips. So, Yuuri did what he was asked—he explained to him what it was that he did with as many details as he thought would be necessary and not totally boring. He talked for what seemed like forever, and Victor only interrupted him every now and again to ask questions or for more detail. By the time Yuuri had finished talking, food had arrived—this time he was sure that Victor didn’t order without him noticing—he had drank three going on four glasses of wine, and was definitely beginning to feel his alcohol.

“Well, I would love to read some of your work if you’ll let me. I’d like to hear your opinion on the social and political references Chaucer made throughout his works as well as the impacts you believe it made at the time.” Victor said, cutting into his food like he had just said the most casual of sentences.

Yuuri, on the other hand, nearly damn well fell out of his chair. Victor not only knew of Chaucer, but also cared about Chaucer!? And, to top it off, he wanted to know how Yuuri felt about Chaucer? ‘There’s no way this guy is real.’ Yuuri thought to himself, both shocked and growing suspicious.

“Did someone put you up to this?” Yuuri asked, squinting his eyes. The alcohol was beginning to make him bold—and just a little paranoid.

“I beg your pardon?” Victor asked, his face pure confusion.

“There’s no way you can be serious. No one is as good looking as you are, has money, drives nice cars, takes their dates to fancy restaurants like this one, can be as smooth as you are, and likes Chaucer—especially enough to want to read a boring academic paper on it. I mean, I wrote the paper and I still think it’s kind of boring!” Yuuri said, finally taking a bite of his food. He didn’t know what the hell he was eating, but it was damn good. Victor blinked at him for a moment, obviously stunned by Yuuri’s bluntness; and if Yuuri hadn’t of just finished his fourth glass of wine, he’d be stunned by his words, too.

“Yuuri,” Victor said, his mouth turning downward, “You underestimate me.” He said before taking a breath, and Yuuri instantly knew he’d messed up. “One, I care deeply for subjects such as literature and history and found them quite interesting during my college education. Two, I often read academic journals of a wide range of subjects—especially literature—because I find them both engaging and challenging. And thress, I would never in my life allow someone to convince me to take someone out on a date with false pretenses. I’m simply not that kind of person.”

When Victor finished, Yuuri was nearly on the edge of tears. “Victor, I am so sorry.” He rushed out, panic expanding in his chest like a balloon. “I never meant to insult you or anything like that. It’s just really hard to believe that someone like you would care about someone like me, let alone want to take me out on a date or hear about the work that I do. I’m really sorry. I’m just not good with stuff like this, and I understand if you don’t want to talk to me anymore. I just can’t apologize enough, and—“ Yuuri would have kept talking, apologies spilling from his mouth like water, but Victor had placed his hand on top of Yuuri’s squeezing it gently, and Yuuri froze.

“Yuuri, I’m not mad at you.” Victor said, letting out a soft laugh, and smiling as Yuuri braced for the ‘but’. “But I want you to know that my intentions are in the right place when it comes to this—when it comes to you. I was serious when I said I wanted to get to know you, and I would never feign interest for the purpose of deceit. Have faith in me, Yuuri—I have no wish to hurt you.” Victor finished, his voice serious but sincere.

Yuuri felt his chest deflate of panic only to well up again with affection. He couldn’t believe that Victor was real. From his looks to his brain to his heart—Victor was truly a saint among men—and Yuuri was falling head over heels for him. Yuuri dropped his eyes but nodded in agreement, failing to find the words for both an ‘I’m sorry’ and a ‘thank you’.

They ate in silence for a few moments, and Yuuri drank another glass of wine, before Victor started the conversation up again. They fell into a tempo after a little while—Victor would as a question and Yuuri would answer; then Yuuri would ask a question, and Victor would give a short answer before directing the conversation back to Yuuri. He wanted to bring it up, wanted to point out that he wanted to get to know Victor the same way Victor wanted to get to know him. He wanted to tell Victor that he shouldn’t be afraid or embarrassed of anything—that there was nothing Yuuri wouldn’t be happy to hear. He did learn, however, that Victor was born and raised in Russia, but Yuuri still wasn’t sure why he ended up in the United States. But the wine always kept Yuuri talking long enough about himself to make him forget that he wanted to say something every time Victor answered—or failed to—answer a question.

After their plates were cleared and Yuuri had finished his seventh—maybe eighth—glass of wine, the conversation lulled and Yuuri was feeling good. “Do you want to dance?” He asked suddenly, the words surprising both himself and clearly Victor. Victor, who had already opened his mouth to say something before Yuuri had blurted out the question, closed it for a moment before opening it again, only to close it once more. Yuuri, a little let down by Victor’s response, began to shake his head and laugh it off. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to. It was a dumb idea anyw—“

“No.” Victor said, cutting him off sharply. “Sorry, you just caught me off guard. Are you sure, though? There are probably still a lot of people in there.” Victor said, worry laced in his voice, and Yuuri couldn’t help smile at Victor’s concern for him.

“I’ll be okay. I’m feeling a lot more relaxed now.” Yuuri said, and he was being honest—even if it was mostly the wine talking. Victor looked him over once more with an audible “hm” before standing to his feet. He walked over to Yuuri and extended his hand.

“Well, then, Yuuri, may I have this dance?” He asked, a smile tugging on his lips. Yuuri’s heart stopping in his chest for a moment, only to start beating a hundred time harder. His already flushed cheeks growing even darker.

“Of course,” He said, a little timidly before placing his hand in Victor’s and rising to his feet. He was unsteady at first—he had definitely drank too much wine—but Victor caught him and leaned Yuuri against him as he wrapped his arm around Yuuri to support him.

“Are you sure you’re going to be able to dance?” Victor asked, the worry coming back into his voice.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Yuuri said with a laugh—he definitely drank too much wine—willing himself to steady without Victor’s help. “See? Golden.” He said, flashing Victor a confident smile, and he could have sworn he saw Victor blush a little.

They made their way inside, their hands still joined together tightly. Yuuri insisted he could walk on his own, but Victor said it made him feel better—and, to be honest, Yuuri wasn’t complaining. He felt like a giddy kid holding hands with his crush. His chest felt so light, his heart so free, and in his mind everything was right when he was holding hands with Victor.

When they finally reached the dance floor, he let Victor lead, pulling him close so their chests were flushed against one another’s. Yuuri wasn’t sure if he was doing anything right, but the alcohol helped him not to care so much. All he cared about in that moment was pressing against Victor tighter, his head resting on the taller man’s shoulder. He inhaled Victor’s scent—sweet and calming, almost like the roses, but there was something more. Something that made Yuuri crave Victor’s skin, desire blossoming inside of him. Their hips moved together, turning slowly as they made their way across the dance floor. Yuuri could feel the silver-haired man’s breath on his ear, warm and deep with every breath he took.

Yuuri wanted to stay in this moment forever. Victor holding him close, their hands entwined, and their bodies pressed tight against one another. For once, Yuuri didn’t feel embarrassed or anxious or nervous—he didn’t even feel overwhelmed by all of the people around them. He just felt safe, like the world finally made sense to him. He felt happy for the first time in a long time. Victor shifted against him, shielding Yuuri with his back from a couple as they danced too close, and Yuuri pulled back a little bit. Not enough to separate their bodies—he couldn’t do that if he wanted to, not that he wanted to-- but just enough so that he could peer up into Victor’s steel blue eyes.

Victor watched Yuuri watching him, his mouth curving into a soft smile. Yuuri found himself studying every part of Victor’s face, wanting to burn it into his memory in case he never got this close to the silver-haired man again. Finally, his eyes came to rest on Victor’s lips—full and tempting, the most beautiful shade of dark pink Yuuri had ever seen. He bit his own lip without thinking. He wanted to know what Victor tasted like, what his lips would feel like crushed against Yuuri’s own. He wanted to reach up, lace his fingers through Victor’s long hair, and pull him down until their mouth connected. But before he got the chance to move, Victor was leaning down towards him instead, his lips grazing the raven’s cheek and going to his ear.

“Ya veryi, chto menya zastavili lyubit’tebya.*”

Victor whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down Yuuri’s spine. He let out a heavy breath, any louder and it might have been a moan.

“Was that Russian? What did you say?” Yuuri asked, pulling back to look at Victor again; but Victor only smiled and shook his head.

“I will show you in time, I promise.” He breathed into Yuuri’s ear, and the world began to spin.  
\---

Yuuri woke up to light pouring in from the window. His head was pounding and his mouth felt like he had tried to drink sand. He sat up slowly, opening his eyes to the harsh light even slower. He let out a groan, the world slowly coming back to him. But when his eyes focused, he looked around and found that he was not in his bed—or even in his apartment for that matter. Panic flooded his chest and his head began to throb even more. He felt something shift beside him and turned to see Victor curled up an arms-length away, still asleep. He looked down and saw that he was wearing nothing but a t-shirt that was much too big for him—more than likely Victor’s—and his boxers. He swallowed thickly.

Yuuri shook his head, disbelief and embarrassment hitting him like a wall. He felt tears sting his eyes, “What the fuck is going on?” He whispered into the quiet room.

\--------------------------------------------------------

*Translation: "I was made to love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, sorry for the wait. I've started working again, so the updates will be more spaced out now. :/  
> Let me know what you think of the chapter! I'm dying to hear your thoughts.  
> Thanks again for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> 2-2 on posting so far. Here's hoping it lasts, haha. Thanks again for reading! I love reading comments, so feel free to leave one. :)


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